Box-car loader



H. D. PRATT.

BOX CAR LOADER( APPLICATEON FILED JUNE l2, 1918.

HL D( PRATT.

Box CAR LOADER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 12| I9I8.

1,346,689. l Patentedmy 13, i920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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raraar arriere,

HOWELL D. raam, or rnrnannnrnra, PENNSYLVANIA, assreNoeroi LINK-BELT COMPANY, or onroaeo, ILLrNors, a oonroaa'rroN. or rLLrNors.

'nomma Leanne,

intenso.

application mea June 12,

' be delivered into a box car, or other car' having a closed top, and distributed throughout the length of the car. The invention is preferably applied to a vbucket elevator in which the buckets take the material from the ground and deliver it into the car.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a side View of my improved car loader;`

Fig. 2 is an end view looking in the direction of the arrow 2, Fig. 1; n*

Fig. 3 is a plan View of a portion ofthe loader; and

Fig. 4: is a view of a modification.

Referring to the drawings, 1 is a platform supporting the structure. rFhis platformis mounted on an axle 2 having wheels. 3the axle being near the center of the platform, 4 is an axle mounted on a pivot 5 provided with wheels 6 of much smaller diameter than the Wheels 3. By this means the structure can be readily moved from one point to another. 7 is a bucket elevator, the chains 8' of which pass around the upper sprocket wheel 9 and the lower sprocket Wheel 10. The upper sprocket wheel 9 is the 'driven wheel in the present instance and is driven by a chain 11|, which passes l around a sprocket wheel 12 on a driven shaft 13, which has a sprocket Wheel 14C at the 'opposite end around which passes a chain 15 from a sprocket wheel 16 on a shaft 17, Which is geared to the armature shaft 18 of the motor 19 contained within the housing, 20 sup ported by the platform 1. Thefbuckets 21 of the elevator are located a givendistance apart and are arranged to receive material directly from a pile and carry it to the upperl end of the structure. This elevator is sup ported on asuitable frame 22, the character I of the frame depending upon the size and Weight of the parts.

l preferably locate a dust collector 23 Specication of Letters Patent.,

' to place.,

raeeateaaaiy ra, ieee,

1918. Serial No. 239,522.

under the return run. of the elevator so as to carry the dust back to the ground. ln some instances, where the material is to be discharged from a wagon directly onto the conveyer a boot 24, shown in Fig. 4, may be used to receive the material. At the upper end of the structure is a discharge chute- 25 onto which the materiall is dicharged from the buckets and below this chute is a hopper 26 carried by a frame 27 pivoted at 28 to a bracket 29 secured to the main structure at such. a.- height that it can extend into the door opening in a box car. The pivot 28 is a suiicient distance from the main frame so that an endless belt conveyer 30 can be carried by the frame 27 and will extend into the car, assuming different positions therein so that it cangload the car.

The belt 31 of the conveyer 30 passes around Wheels 32 and 33 mounted on a frame 27, of any suitable construction, and mounted on this frame is a small electric motor 35, in the present instance geared to as'haft 36 which, iin-turn, drivesthe shaft 37 throu h a chain and on the shaft 37 is mounted tie Wheel 32. T he belt31' may have a series of cleats or cross bars 38, if found desirable. A chain 39 is attached to the frame and to the chute and supports it at any angle desired,v The length ofthe chain can be altered by a turnbuckle 40.

be understbod that it can be used for loading r stationary bins, or carriers of any description.

It will be-'seen by the abovedescription we e that I am enlabled to make a comparatively cheap car loading device which will continuously handle material in comparatively large amounts and which can be operated by one man and can be readilyshifted from place I'claim:

1.. In a car loader, the. combination of a readily portable frame havinga horizontal relatively short wheel base and a vertical portion of substantial height; a bucket clevator mounted at an incline on one side of the framel` said frame having a lateral eXtension from the opposite side at a point intermediate of its top and bottom; a motor for driving the elevator; a pivoted belt conveyer having a frame pivotally mounted at one end of said lateral extension so that the Yconveyer is capable of swinging about its pivot either to the right or left of the loader, said conveyer adapted to receive material from the bucket elevator; and an independent motor for driving the belt conveyer so that the speed thereot can be varied to cause materialto be discharged at different dis- -tances from the loader.

2. In a car loader, the combination of a readily portable frame having .substantial height and a relatively short Wheel base, an

inolin'ed bucket elevator mounted on one side of the frame, said frame having a bracket extending horizontally from its opposite side at a point between the top and bottom v ofthe frame, and a Hight conveyer having one end pivotally mountedon said bracket so that the conveyer may be swung through an arc of 180 degrees to discharge material either to the right or left of the loader; an independent motor for driving the conveyer at variable speed to per it material to be deliveredv at different distances from the loader, a chute into which theupper-end of the bucket end of the elevator discharges; and a hopper on the flight conveyer into which the chute delivers.

In Witness whereof I aiix my signature.

AHCYJVELL D. PRATT. 

